Thai democracy activists rallied at the United Nation's (UN) Bangkok office Thursday and asked the body to pressure the kingdom into repealing royal defamation laws they say are being used to suppress their movement.23 leaders are facing charges under the legislation for headlining demonstrations demanding reforms to the monarchy and more scrutiny of the royal family's financial arrangements.The kingdom's lese majeste laws shield the super wealthy King Maha Vajiralongkorn and t

As wealthy countries scramble to buy up the limited supply of big-name coronavirus vaccines, China is stepping in to offer its homegrown jabs to poorer countries.

Millions of Indonesians went to the polls Wednesday in regional elections held despite warnings of a possible spike in coronavirus infections, as early results suggested the president's son and son-in-law won public office for the first time.The archipelago of nearly 270 million - the world's third-biggest democracy and fourth most-populous nation - delayed the vote originally set for September as it struggled to contain soaring virus cases.From the capital Jakarta to the holiday is

Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla said Tuesday he understands concerns around the speed at which pharmaceutical companies have produced COVID-19 vaccines, but insisted that no corners had been cut.As Britain on Tuesday became the first Western country to start a mass coronavirus vaccine campaign, using the new Pfizer-BioNTech jab, Bourla said people should feel confident that it is safe and effective."We didn't cut any corners," he told a virtual media briefing hosted by the

More than a dozen leaders of Thailand's pro-democracy protest movement were charged Tuesday under the kingdom's tough royal defamation law for headlining demonstrations demanding reforms to the monarchy.Thailand has strict lese majeste laws, enshrined in section 112 of the penal code, shielding the ultra-wealthy King Maha Vajiralongkorn from criticism.But that has not stopped a youth-led movement from demanding reform - including the abolition of the law in a direct challenge to the

Indonesia has received 1.2 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine made by China's Sinovac, officials said, as the world's fourth most populous nation struggles to get soaring case rates under control.The doses arrived in Jakarta late Sunday on a flight from Beijing, with another 1.8 million expected to be sent again next month.Although Chinese regulators have yet to clear any of country's vaccines for mass distribution, they have approved some advanced candidates for emergency use

The World Economic Forum (WEF) said Monday the coronavirus pandemic had forced it to move next year's summit from Switzerland to Singapore, where it will be held in person from 13-16 May.The annual gathering of the world's political, economic and business elite traditionally takes place in January against the idyllic snowy backdrop of the Alpine village of Davos.It had already been postponed until May due to the virus, with organisers saying the focus would be on remodelling the wor

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II will receive the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine within weeks, reports on Sunday said, as the biggest immunisation programme in United Kingdom (UK) history begins next week.The monarch, 94, and her 99-year-old husband Prince Philip are in line to get the jab early in the rollout, which gets underway Tuesday, due to their age and will not receive preferential treatment, several newspapers reported.Britain's most senior royals will "let it be know

Some 10 thousand royalists turned out in Bangkok on Saturday for a drone show honouring the Thai king's late father, in a show of force by a monarchy under pressure following months of pro-democracy protests.Since July demonstrators have made unprecedented calls to reform Thailand's monarchy – a taboo-smashing demand in a country where the ultra-wealthy royal family has long been untouchable.But Saturday saw the king's supporters turn out in force, wearing yellow and clutching

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that vaccines were no magic bullet for the coronavirus crisis, as Russia started vaccinating its high-risk workers Saturday and other countries geared up for similar programmes.The WHO warned about what it said was an erroneous belief that the COVID-19 crisis is over with jabs on the horizon, nearly a year after the start of the pandemic that has killed 1.5 million people worldwide."Vaccines do not equal zero COVID," said WHO emergencie